Integrating "big social" into an alumni site
This is a quick follow up post...
A while back, in a post about alumni and social networking, there was some discussion on this blog about iModules plans to pull Facebook into its alumni application. A post from a few weeks ago on the iModules blog (good for them for blogging, by the way), there was a post called "The Facebook Challenge," in which blogging VP Mike McCamon discusses their intended approach to integration with social networking sites such as Facebook. He writes, Read more...
Intermedia, 9 May, 9:47am
Update from Oz
Some random observations of my first few days in Oz:
First, how is it Qantas can serve a free hot meal and free beverages on a 55 minute trip from Melbourne to Sydney when most US airlines I fly on can barely provide a cold, stale sandwich on a cross country flight? It’s also cool, by [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Update from Oz", url: "http://weblogg-ed.com/2008/update-from-oz/" }); Read more...
Weblogg-ed, 9 May, 4:24am
Alltel That Ends Well?
Will This Redeem Alltel? by cogdogblog posted 7 May ‘08, 10.13pm MDT PST on flickr
My battle to escape jail of my wireless internet provider seems in vain, but they did send me, for free, a newer USB mode, that actually has software for the Mac and promises to be a stronger connection (time [...] Read more...
CogDogBlog, 8 May, 9:49pm
Jakob Nielsen's good advice.. basics before bells and whistles
In the middle of a communications capability review for a client this morning, I made a visit to Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox website in search of specific usability information. Haven't actually found it yet, but the browsing did make me realize yet again how important it is in online communications that websites tend tothe basics before the bells and whistles. Read more...
Bob Johnson's Blog on Internet Marketing, 8 May, 9:45pm
Play The Subversive Game: Make Starbucks Say “Large”
I really do not mind Starbucks as an establishment. They are comfy places and serve my favorite drinks, yes at inflated prices, but I succumb. My own, silly pet peeve is that stupid language thing when you order a drink. I want a “big” drink, so I describe it as “large”, and they say, “Venti”.
That [...] Read more...
CogDogBlog, 8 May, 8:55pm
Co-Founder of Second Life Says Academics Are Biggest Trailblazers in Virtual Worlds
In a speech that was broadcast in the virtual world, an inventor of Second Life talks about the educational promises of his creation. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 8 May, 3:57pm
Research on Connections Between Computer Use and School Violence
A psychiatrist presented research on the connection between playing computer games and school shootings at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual summit. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 8 May, 1:35pm
Educause Survey: Top 10 IT Issues in Higher Education
“Change management” makes the list for the first time. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 8 May, 12:18pm
Navigation, emotion and giraffes
Web content guru Gerry McGovern is one of my favorite bloggers -- mostly because some of his posts at Giraffe Forum give me a nervous twitch. Don't get me wrong, I read McGovern pretty closely, but every once in a while he strikes a nerve.
In a recent post in which he argues that every website is NOT different, he writes, "Please don’t think about your website from the point of view of emotional branding. Don’t fall into the trap of designing for exceptions." He concludes with, "There are now solid rules for managing websites. The first one is: Design for what is common, not for what is exceptional."
In many ways, I agree, but I don't think it's that black and white. I think you need to focus on what's common and Read more...
Intermedia, 8 May, 9:55am
And No Blog Tattoos Either
From the “Circling the Wagons Department” it seems the New York City Department of Education has laid down the law about employees referencing their blogs in their e-mail signatures. For some reason, letting others know that your are a blogger is highly problematic, and the city is providing disclaimer language for anyone in the department [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "And No Blog Tattoos Either", url: "http://weblogg-ed.com/2008/and-no-blog-tattoos-either/" }); Read more...
Weblogg-ed, 8 May, 2:36am
We Want More!
In my last post, I left with the idea that stimulating regular visits to your blog can be about “wanting more.” The cliffhanger approach to blog posting is certainly one method that works. The fact that you are reading is proof itself. But there’s more. And, last time I promised you three more tips to [...] Read more...
eduwebbuzz.com Blog, 7 May, 6:33pm
Study: Young Kids Online
Just wanted to point briefly to a new ethnographic study on young kids in online social environments that was released this week by Consumer Reports Web Watch and the Mediatech Foundation, which is the brainchild of my good friend Warren Buckleitner (and for which I serve, badly I might add, as vice president of the [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Study: Young Kids Online", url: "http://weblogg-ed.com/2008/study-young-kids-online/" }); Read more...
Weblogg-ed, 7 May, 4:26pm
Orphan-Works Bill Sails Through House Panel
House intellectual-property subcommittee approves orphan-works bill. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 7 May, 4:25pm
In Wikipedia, Length Matters
A new study found that in Wikipedia, word count can be used to predict article quality. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 7 May, 4:01pm
Mashed Up Lamb
Hmmmm, this blog post title sounds like either a bad idea for a recipe with a food processor or a headline of a New Zealand rural road accident report.
But noooo, neither, it is this awesome video done by Clint Lalonde where he mashes up Brian Lamb for an intro to a keynote Brian did [...] Read more...
CogDogBlog, 7 May, 3:45pm
Using Cellphones in the Classroom (Constructively)
Some suggestions for constructively integrating cellphones into classrooms. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 7 May, 2:28pm
UC-Berkeley Marching Band Does Nintendo-Themed Show
The University of California at Berkeley’s marching band does a Nintendo-inspired half-time show. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 7 May, 1:26pm
'Twittering' During a Campus Lockdown
A professor tells how U. of Richmond students communicated during a lockdown and says it may offer a key to managing a campus crisis. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 7 May, 11:52am
Social-Networking Site Starts Wikis for Language Education
Not willing to cough up a couple hundred bucks for Rosetta Stone software? Check out italki Knowledge, a free online language-learning, open-textbook site designed for the Web 2.0 crowd. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 7 May, 11:18am
Spectra: Not Your Grandfather’s RSS Reader
I just took a quick spin through MSNBC’s Spectra which is sort of like, no not really, like a visual news/feed reader. You pick news “channels” (chosen by MSNBC not you) they are color coded (by MSNBC not you), and the headlines spin by you in a cyclical spiral. I guess it might be hypnotizing. [...] Read more...
CogDogBlog, 7 May, 10:41am
Higher Ed Bloggers edit and fact check the Chronicle of Higher Education
Yes, you’ve read my headline correctly: bloggers editing and fact checking the main media outlet covering higher education in the US.
So, what do I mean exactly?
In the past weeks, two posts from two different higher ed bloggers have questioned some of the facts reported in two different articles published by the Chronicle.
Andy Shaindlin from [...] Read more...
collegewebeditor.com: web, marketing & PR in higher ed, 7 May, 10:10am
Howard Rheingold
Howard Rheingold was the guest at 'A vision for the future', Education.au's latest installment of their seminar series. Read more...
templatedata, 7 May, 9:54am
HighEdWebDev
HighEdWebDev has started in Rochester, N.Y., and as usual, Karine at collegewebeditor has done a sterling job getting some guest bloggers together. It would have been fantastic to make it there but Rochester IS a long way from Sydney so these guest bloggers will hopefully make the rest of us feel like we're there. If you use Facebook you may also want to check out the HighEdWebDev group. Read more...
templatedata, 7 May, 9:54am
New Web Communications director... College of Wooster
Here's another move in the right direction for better web content and communications. Read more...
Bob Johnson's Blog on Internet Marketing, 7 May, 9:54am
Web content editor description... Tarrant County College
Down in Fort Worth, Susan Ragland recently started a new position as Web Content Editor at Tarrant County College. When she contacted me recently for a mini-bio to use with some on-campus writing sessions she'll be doing,I asked her to send alonga job description to include with those posted earlier. And so thanks to her for doing just that. Read more...
Bob Johnson's Blog on Internet Marketing, 6 May, 9:46pm
You Say It's Your Birthday
An associate professor at George Washington University Law School has written a fascinating paper on the history of the (allegedly) most oft-infringed piece of music Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 6 May, 4:57pm
Library Group Favors Senate Over House Bill on Orphan Works
The American Library Association is urging its membership to press their senators and representatives to support the Senate version of a bill that would make it easier for people to exploit orphan works Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 6 May, 1:13pm
Podcast episodes posted
WCER’s May and April monthly podcast episodes are posted at LearnOutLoud.
You can subscribe to the feed by copying and pasting this URL into your podcast software
http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/publications/podcast/feed.xml Read more...
EducationPR, 6 May, 11:10am
Using Technology to 'Hack' College Life: an Interview With a Student Blogger
Kelly Sutton, a founder of a student-run blog about improving lives through technology. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 6 May, 11:04am
Mountain State U. Researchers Develop Fingerprinting Technology
Researchers at Mountain State University have developed a new fingerprint-detection technology. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 6 May, 11:02am
Narrowing the public debate
In a case study published in Teachers College Record, Adam Lefstein examines implications for the way that educational researchers communicate their ideas to the general public. He raises questions about “the desirability and likely effectiveness of the currently popular strategy to maximize research influence through the promotion of ‘evidence-based’ policy.”
Examining the BBC TV program Newsnight’s [...] Read more...
EducationPR, 6 May, 11:02am
Universities and content management
They're all the same apparently. Read more...
templatedata, 6 May, 9:55am
Presidents who blog... Ashland University
In my emailTuesday for the Link of the Week selection at my website, I included a "P.S." asking for people to review the list of 31 college and university presidents who blog and send along a link to presidents who were not yet listed. Read more...
Bob Johnson's Blog on Internet Marketing, 6 May, 9:54am
New college cost estimator... more good news
Financial aid and scholarship estimators from 7 schools is still far from a rush to fill in this important marketing element on college and university websites. But, everynew siteis a move in the right direction. Read more...
Bob Johnson's Blog on Internet Marketing, 6 May, 9:54am
New Web Editor position... Spring Arbor University
Sometime you indeed find worthy news close to home. Sunday's copy of the Battle Creek Inquirer included an advertisement for a Web Content Editor at Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, MI. As always, the continued growth of positions like this keeps the hope of a cleaner, crisper presentation of web content alive and well. Read more...
Bob Johnson's Blog on Internet Marketing, 6 May, 9:54am
Amazing Add-on for Blogs: Apture
Thanks to a short post from Lawrence Lessig (now on his regularly scheduled month long blog hiatus, btw) I’m using Apture for the first time to demo what I think is a powerful new potential for blogging. (Click on Lessig’s name above to get a sense.) In an amazingly easy way, I’m now able to [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Amazing Add-on for Blogs: Apture", url: "http://weblogg-ed.com/2008/amazing-add-on-for-blogs-apture/" }); Read more...
Weblogg-ed, 5 May, 10:37pm
Officials Discuss the Importance of Privacy in Online Class Discussions
A session at Educause’s annual security conference focused on privacy issues. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 5 May, 4:17pm
Get Your Nine Inch Nails Remix On
This isn’t news to many, but this morning, the band Nine Inch Nails released its newest collection of music this morning as a free download with a Creative Commons attribution, non-commercial, share alike license. I’m not sure how realistic the all free music model is, but I really hope the “take this and make your [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Get Your Nine Inch Nails Remix On", url: "http://weblogg-ed.com/2008/get-your-nine-inch-nails-remix-on/" }); Read more...
Weblogg-ed, 5 May, 4:04pm
Using Leisure Activities in Education Corrupts Learning Process, Paper Argues
A new paper argues that introducing activities associated with leisure—such as iPods and chat rooms—into education corrupts the learning process. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 5 May, 3:59pm
Sticky Notes Go Digital
The technology, developed by MIT researchers, issues reminders on the paper notes you write. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 5 May, 3:50pm
Techie Video Contests
Creative types interested in digital culture may want to enter a couple tech-related video contests. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 5 May, 3:42pm
Higher Ed Conference Update: Portal 2008, EduComm, EduWeb and HighEdWeb
I don’t know about you, but there is so much going on lately that it’s really difficult to keep track of everything. So, here’s a quick update of what you need to keep in mind if you’re thinking about attending a conference or another professional development event.
Portal 2008 at Gettysburg College, PA - June [...] Read more...
collegewebeditor.com: web, marketing & PR in higher ed, 5 May, 3:06pm
Do you have ‘presence’?
Paul Gillin has an excellent argument for keeping up with the evolution of social media: Teens and college students–our future co-workers–live an always-connected lifestyle. They expect that their friends will always be available to them, regardless of where they are.
” ‘Presence’ reflects the fact that people are no longer anchored to their desks,” Gillin writes. [...] Read more...
EducationPR, 5 May, 12:38pm
Computing Group Strives to Get Teenagers Into Computer Careers
Marketing campaign looks to get more teenagers into computer science. Read more...
The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog, 5 May, 12:08pm
TwitterCamp Flies Again.. I Love This Web Thing
For the 10 gazillionth time the network (as in the people I am connected to) saves the day again. For some upcoming presentations and conferences, I was hoping to set up TwitterCamp, a desktop app (Mac and PC) that runs in Adobe Air and displays in near real time the incoming tweets for a specific [...] Read more...
CogDogBlog, 5 May, 10:32am
Measurement - Track behavior, consistently
I'm a fan of measurement. It's part of my practical, "why am I doing this?" nature. So, I tend to write and talk about it quite a bit. What's bugging me recently is the number of folks who either say, "You can't measure [fill in the blank], because the stats are unreliable or something seemingly reasonable. I don't buy it though, at least when talking about internal measures.
If you're trying to measure efforts or outcomes of your operation, all that really matters is consistency. Pick the thing you're going to measure -- anything, really -- and get a benchmark, then repeat to see if you're improving, declining, staying flat. The other key, I'm coming to realize, is that you measure behavior (which, for some reason, I've started spelling behaviour), not activity. There's just to much unknown, particularly on the web, with measuring action/activities. What does a click, or path, really mean? What's the behavior you... Read more...
Intermedia, 5 May, 9:50am
Linking: it can not be stressed enough
Links. They make the interwebs work. So it's imperative you get them right. There is an art to it. Read more...
templatedata, 4 May, 9:45pm
Horizon Report - Emerging Technologies - Summary
I have summarised sections of the Horizon Report 2008 for my colleagues at USYD who work in these areas. The focus of my summary is on Grassroots Video and Collaboration Webs and I encourage you to read the whole report as well as visit the Horizon Wiki for further information. Read more...
templatedata, 4 May, 9:45pm
Friendfeed, twitter, Facebook and …
See what the hyper-influential blogger, social media guru, and entrepreneur Loic Le Meur has to say about using multiple social networking tools simultaneously, throughout the day. “I talk to hundreds of friends all day long,” he says. “I post on Twitter, Friendfeed, Seesmic. I read my replies, my direct messages, view my direct videos and [...] Read more...
EducationPR, 4 May, 7:33pm
Pirate Update
In the “I am not sure why people should care (but there are 80 people on Facebook who say they do) department– the latests news on my fight to escape the clutches of my mobile internet provider’s contract is that Alltel still has me in their brig.
I’d like to say that I have a hunch/wish/belief [...] Read more...
CogDogBlog, 4 May, 5:37pm